Non-EU companies must meet Europe’s data protection rules

Reuters writes: “Companies based outside the European Union must meet Europe’s data protection rules, ministers agreed on Friday, although governments remain divided over how to enforce them on companies operating across the bloc. The agreement to force Internet companies such as Google (GOOGL.O) and Facebook (FB.O) to abide by EU-wide rules is a first step in a wider reform package to tighten privacy laws – an issue that has gained prominence following revelations of U.S. spying in Europe. “All companies operating on European soil have to apply the rules,” EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding told reporters”.